The Coolest New Cars of 2021 and five to look forward to in 2022

Just as we do with watches on MONOCHROME, I’d like to take a look back at some of the new cars presented or released in 2021. What has caught my eye and impressed me the most? And on that note, we might as well have a little peek into 2022 and see what kind of exciting new cars next year will bring. Here’s our selection of five cars from 2021, and five upcoming cars worth looking out for.

2021 – Toyota GR Yaris

The Toyota GR Yaris is the wildest car Toyota has built in a long while, and media like Top Gear state it’s a real hooligan to drive. The GR Yaris is basically a road-legal rally car built to homologate a WRC competition-spec GR Yaris. The body has been altered extensively, with a much lower roofline and a much wider stance. It’s small, it’s light and it’s very fast for a small, sensible hatchback. With four-wheel drive, mind you. Using a 1.6 litre turbocharged engine producing 257bhp, it hits 100kph in 5,2 seconds. Which is enough to mess with basic sports and performance cars at traffic lights. And best of all, it is a proper driver’s car as it comes with a manual 6-speed transmission. Toyota is building only 1,000 of these cars, as demand was so high the initial 750 cars wouldn’t have cut it.

Here’s Top Gear’s Chris Harris messing about in the little machine;

2021 – Lamborghini HuracÁn Super Trofeo Omologato

Another beast that’s built as a homologation special, somewhat similar to the GR Yaris, is the Lamborghini Huracán Super Trofeo Omologato, or STO. Lamborghini will build as many as it can, so for once, it is not some extremely limited “1of 6” type car. Still, I can’t imagine the client base for this running into the tens of thousands. Partly because of the price Lamborghini demands, which is a cool quarter of a million to start with, but partly also because of the sheer insanity of the thing. The Lamborghini Huracán STO is a street-legal Huracán turned up to eleven, and then to twelve and possible thirteen. It uses the same naturally aspirated 5.2 litre V10 as the standard car, pumping out 640bhp. The weight has been drastically reduced wherever possible, including dropping four-wheel drive for rear-wheel drive. All with the idea of making a GT3 race car, for the road.

2021 – Aston Martin V12 Speedster

Another radical car, this time from the Brits; the Aston Martin V12 Speedster. Designed as a true speedster, this Aston Martin lacks a proper roof, and windshield and delivers a visceral, open driving experience if there ever was one. And it comes with a close to 700bhp 5.2 liter twin-turbo V12 engine, capable of launching you from zero to 100kph in 3.5 seconds and on to a limited top speed of 300kph. Which is ludicrous enough considering the fact your head’s exposed to the elements non-stop. Aston Martin will build only 88 of these, at a price of GBP 765,000 each. Another rich man’s toy for sure, but what a looker it is!

Top Gear pitted it against the McLaren Elva and the Ferrari Monza, two other hardcore Speedsters;

2021 – Ford Bronco

A car from a whole other order, with a legendary name, is the 2021 Ford Bronco. This retro off-roader has been teased by Ford for several years before finally being made available to the public in 2021. The first-generation Bronco was built in 1966, and production ran for five generations, before being discontinued in 1996. Now though, it’s back in all its rugged glory and has been a smash hit in the US. Ford can’t produce them fast enough, and at one point held off new orders. It has had its fair share of issues as well, causing multiple delays, but in the end, it is just a super cool thing. It’s available as a two-door, or four-door convertible, with more variations coming in the future. You might expect a big V8 engine in the front, but instead, you have a 2.1 litre straight-4 or 2.7 litre V6 producing 300 or 330 horsepower. More than enough for a fun day in the dirt I’d say.

2021 – Morgan Plus Four CX-T

Sure, this isn’t the first time we’ve talked about the off-road Morgan, but I thought it was just too cool to be left out of 2021’s best. The classically styled Morgan Plus Four has been converted into the CX-T with the help of Dakar-specialists Rally Raid UK. The conversion includes a raised ride height and new suspension kit, off-road tires, a locking differential and a proper survival kit. The external roll cage indicates the Morgan means business, and the spare tires on the back will make sure you can continue your hooliganism in the case of a puncture or two. Only 7 will be built, and at GBP 200,000 they’re not cheap, but it looks just damn cool.

2022 – Mercedes AMG One

I could have made a snarky comment on the delay of the Mercedes AMG Project One, but I’m not going to. Yes, the project has been pushed into the new year before clients will receive their multi-million dollar F1-inspired road car. It still uses a 1.6 liter turbocharged V6 engine coupled to advanced hybrid technology, trickling down from the current F1 race cars. As we’ve said before, it’s far from easy to incorporate this into a car that could, theoretically at least, be used every single day. The biggest obstacles in doing so are safety and reliability. Going through some of the claims in terms of performance still beggars belief. With a redline of 11,000rpm and over 1,000 on tap, it will hit 200kph in less than 6 seconds and keep on accelerating well past 350kph. All 275 slots are sold out, with delivery now due mid-2022.

2022 – Chevrolet Corvette Z06

American car manufacturers have always dated their cars a bit different from most other carmakers. A 2023 model will be going on sale in 2022, a year early you might think but this has always been the deal. For next year, Chevrolet is going on sale with a faster, better version of the mid-engine Corvette; the Z06. This illustrious three-digit code will get most Petrolheads excited, as it means more power and speed. The V8 engine in the back of the Corvette will produce 670bhp and rumour has it that zero to 100kph will be done in under 3 seconds. This makes the Corvette z06 a serious force to be reckoned with against the likes of Porsche and Ferrari. Also considering a base price of USD 70,000, it is a true performance bargain.

2022 – BMW M3 Touring

Ever since the first BMW M3 was introduced back in the 1980s, the rumours of a Touring version has been persistent but ignored by BMW entirely. Up until next year that is, as the Germans are working on a station variant of the M3. Such a high-performance Touring model has been very successful for Audi and Mercedes, and BMW even did the same with the M5. However, an M3 Touring would be the world’s first. It’s believed to be fitted with a 3.0 litre twin-turbo six-cylinder engine with 480bhp as standard or 510bhp in Competition trim. The only thing is, you’d have to get around that weird-looking grill if you want one. Not the greatest of designs, to put it mildly. But an M3 with space for kids, a dog and luggage to go on holidays? Yes, please! (The images below include an artist rendering sourced from Motor1.com and spyshots from Evo.co.uk)

2022 – Ferrari 296 GTB

While we can expect Ferrari’s SUV, the Purosangue to be released as well in 2022, instead I’ve opted for the Ferrari 296 GTB instead. This spiritual successor of the Dino 206GT and 246GT/GTS models was presented during the summer of 2021 and will be powered by a V6 hybrid powertrain. It’s also presented as the first “true” Ferrari with a V6, a stab at the original Dino, as Enzo Ferrari felt his beloved Ferrari badge was unfit for such a small engine. History aside, this is a big step for Ferrari, who previously only used 8 cylinders or more in road cars. No less than 830bhp will be available, which puts this directly between the F8 Tributo and the SF90 Stradale in terms of power. Performance-wise this will be a real thoroughbred, as it will hit 100kph in less than three seconds and storm on to an expected top speed of 330kph. The sleek-looking car is almost free of visual aerodynamic trickery (it’s there, rest assured) and as such is perhaps one of the best looking Ferrari’s in a long while.

2022 – Porsche 911 GT3 RS

I am a true Porsche fan and have been for many years now. And whenever I learn a new model is coming up, I can’t help but get excited. In 2022, Porsche is set to launch the most hardcore, version of the 911 you can get; the 911 GT3 RS. As is tradition with Porsche, each generation of the 911 goes through the same process. The power and performance, and perhaps insanity, are increased gradually as each new model is introduced. The 911 GT3 RS is an even more hardcore variant of the 911. It will feature more of everything really, but with less weight to lug around. The 4.0-litre flat-6 engine is said to be producing 540bhp, and it will probably be insanely fast on a track. It can be seen visiting the Nürburgring regularly for testing laps, including a HUGE rear wing. (images from AutoEvolution.com)